Common Desk – Oak Cliff, the second-ever Common Desk location, is officially two years old! So to celebrate, we wanted to reflect on the sweet and essential moments that got us to where we are today. Buckle in and take a little joy ride through the past with us– Shall we?
It all started back in 2014. We had been dreaming of opening a second location for quite a while, and, to be frank, Oak Cliff was one of the last places anyone expected us to go. So (naturally) that’s where we went. And our lives are all the better because of it!
We were (and still are) attracted to Oak Cliff for a number of reasons. The neighborhood initially grabbed our attention because of its unique vibes and creative community of freelancers and artists working from Oak Cliff coffee shops. As we continued to explore the idea of putting a coworking space there, we fell in love with its history, undeniable sense of neighborhood pride, amazing small business scene, and its walkability/bikeability.
From the very beginning, it was evident that the Common Desk – Oak Cliff community was going to be special. While we were building out our first Oak Cliff coworking space, we wanted to get a good feel for the people within Oak Cliff’s vibrant community. We began by meeting with local business owners such as Wild Detectives, Enos, and Bolsa to get a sense for what the community needed. And then to go ahead and start forming community before opening, we invited anyone interested in membership to cowork with us at Bolsa Mercado!
Every Common Desk space is designed with the neighborhood and its residents in mind. Oak Cliff is full of fresh air, natural light, and warm tones, and the overall vibe is a perfect combination of clean designs which are endearingly a little rough around the edges. Our 633 West Davis Street building was Lucky Dog Books before we moved in. As soon as Lucky Dog announced that they were moving to a different location off of Jefferson Street just a few blocks away, we immediately hopped on the opportunity to make 633 our next Common Desk home. We fell in love with the building for its tall ceilings, plethora of windows and natural light, exposed brick, and undeniable charm. When a building has that much character, you know that the community is destined to have it, too.
Construction lasted for 4 months, and before we knew it, we were ready for opening day! We opened on Thursday, July 9, 2015 as one of the first coworking spaces in Oak Cliff, having 25 members who were eager to kiss their home offices goodbye and begin coworking (many of these members are still in the same spots they started in today!).
Our grand opening party was nothing short of magical. 200+ people came out for the festivities which included live music by The Fox and The Bird, a live mural painted by local artist (now internationally known for his mastery) Kyle Steed for all of our guests to see, food and drinks provided by local businesses like Bolsa Mercado, Party Bartenders, and Oak Cliff Creperie, and then of course– corn hole! Other fun vendors included flower arrangements by our friends Celebrate Colorfully, beer tasting from Oak Cliff beer crafters Manhattan Brewing Project, and a photobooth by our pals at Photomadic!
The early Common Desk – Oak Cliff community was comprised of freelance writers, small teams of marketing gurus, graphic designers, real estate innovators, local restaurateurs, and a few local (and some now famous) artists. All of these members are still the cornerstone of our Oak Cliff community, which is now comprised of over 50 industry categories and has become a tightly-knit family of professionals.
The past two years in Oak Cliff have been filled with so many laughs, new friendships, bumps in the road, tiny successes and huge victories, cocktails, early beers, island chats, chocolate chip cookies, and endless good times. As we look toward the future, we can’t wait to continue to grow alongside our members and this unique neighborhood we get to call home.
